# NTSB DCA25LA308: Airbus Canada BD500, Denver, CO, August 31, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 31, 2025, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC) - Place: Denver, CO · Google Earth lat/long runway 26 - Coordinates: 39.877438, -104.65233 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8774&lon=-104.6523&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Standing: Evacuation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 123 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 17, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Major Investigations Division - Parties: Airbus, Air Canada ASI, FAA AVP-110, Air Canada - Director of Safety, TSB of Canada - NTSB case key (mKey): 200905 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA25LA308 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200905/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200905 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA308 ## Probable cause Unidentified burned debris in an aft galley oven, which generated smoke and odor in the cabin and led to an air turnback and subsequent evacuation, during which a serious injury occurred. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Equipment/furnishings: buffet/galleys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022530): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Inadequate inspection (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022530/cases.md) - [Physical workspace: air quality/dust/smoke](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03041025): Environmental issues › Task environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03041025/cases.md) - [Impairment/incapacitation: illness/injury](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02012010): Personnel issues › Physical · Passenger; cases with it: [All aircraft, 34 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02012010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150); cases with it: [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md) - [Standing: Evacuation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/460/sequence.md) ## Analysis Air Canada flight 1038, a scheduled international passenger flight from Denver International Airport (DEN), Denver, Colorado, to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, experienced smoke and an electrical odor in the cabin, resulting in an air turnback. After landing, an evacuation was initiated, and one passenger sustained a serious injury. According to the flight crew, during climb out, the flight attendants (FAs) informed them of an electrical burning odor in the aft cabin. The flight crew turned the power to the aft galley off, but the FAs stated the odor was getting stronger and that they observed haze in the cabin. At that time, the flight crew declared an emergency and coordinated with air traffic control for a return to DEN. After landing, the flight crew stopped the aircraft on the runway and contacted the flight attendants to get an update on the situation in the cabin. The FAs stated that the situation was worse and that passengers were experiencing eye irritation. At that time, the captain commanded an evacuation. During the evacuation, FAs observed passengers standing on both wings. One FA exited onto each wing and assisted with the overwing evacuations. A passenger sustained a serious injury to their right ankle and was unable to move away from the slide. At that time, passengers were redirected into the cabin and out the left overwing exit. The remainder of the evacuation was uneventful. Post-event evaluation revealed burned debris on the baffle plate, carriers, and tray installed in an aft galley oven. ## Aircraft - Registration: C-GYLQ (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: AIRBUS CANADA BD500 (1A11) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 55355 - Year built: 2025 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 24000 lbs thrust turbo fan; Pratt & Whitney PW1524G-3 24400 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 129 - Operator: Air Canada - Registered owner: Air Canada - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, August 29, 2025, 663.4 hours before - Departed: DEN, Denver, CO - Destination: YYZ, Toronto, OF - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KDEN, Denver International Airport, runway 26, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Heads up display, Onboard weather, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; injuries: none; foreign, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 23, 2025; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 6,648 total, 2,200 in this make and model, 3,200 as pilot in command, 194 in the last 90 days, 57 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 49; injuries: none; foreign, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 6, 2025; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 12,000 total, 797 in this make and model, 9,000 as pilot in command, 225 in the last 90 days, 75 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Cabin crew; injuries: none; seat: front; restraint: 3-point - Cabin crew; injuries: none; seat: left; restraint: 3-point - Cabin crew; injuries: none; seat: right; restraint: 3-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 5 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.34 inHg - Observed at: KDEN ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 17, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200905. 5.6 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 5.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19583616&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20DCA25LA308_Redacted-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.